Ok,
So the website has long been neglected as I kept trying to revise the layout and programming and kept getting frustrated with the latest innovations of web design. SO, I finally remembered "Blogger" and revisited it. To my pleasure I've that they at least have been able to keep up with technology and by using Blogger I can use a template that looks nearly as good on a mobile device as it does on a computer... and updating the site is easy-peazy... so, enough tech talk. I'll clean and spruce the site up a little bit more but for the most part this is what I'm going with.
I've started re-writing my recipes for sauces using metric figures. Namely grams and milliliters. I know for most I might as well be speaking Chinese but the fact of the mater is that the metric system is not only easier, but its far more precise than the imperial system we as a Americans have grown up with. Making the switch has helped me make up batches using less dishes, less time, and far more consistency from batch to batch.
Furthermore I can now calculate my costs down to the gram and project expenses better so I know I won't be "giving it away" at a cost to myself. Plus I can start figuring nutrition information, calories, etc and all of this brings me closer to being able to produce a quality, consistent product that I can start looking towards commercial mass production and distribution. Until now most batches have had variations that have affected their consistency in taste and yield. As far as food safety goes I have always been diligent on using quality ingredients, safe handling, and clean environments and processing despite being a "home-grown" product. Going forward, it only gets better!
Over the years, I've tried different methods, tweaks and processes. I believe now I have just about perfected my recipes and processes, with very minor adjustments going forward.
Making my own BBQ sauces were a result of two different realizations. 1) I love to grill and BBQ, and I was paying a fortune in sauces and marinades each week. One day I started looking at the ingredients in my sauces and found I was paying a kings ransom for mixtures of sauces and spices that I ALREADY HAD in my pantry! You can't beat the convenience of pulling a bottle off the shelf and adding to your recipe and having a great meal, but to me that doesn't make a great cook. Just a good chemist. 2) I like spicy foods, and in your typical grocery store or even restaurant it's hard to find really good and spicy sauces if you like it truly hot. Sure there are lots of novelty hot sauces out there and if you know where to get them, then great. But they're not usually found in your local grocery store, especially if you live in a rural area. Furthermore you had a choice of a "hot sauce" OR "BBQ Sauce" and the two didn't really coalesce into a single product. There CERTAINLY is a difference between "Hot Sauce" and "Hot BBQ Sauce"
My first sauces were buying basic BBQ sauces and adding a few extra spices and seasonings. It didn't take me long to realize that those would never "be my own", plus I felt I could do better. Going forward I looked at the common ingredients of popular sauces and started working with those to come up with my own recipe. I was right. I could, and DID do much better.
I use my own sauces as ingredients for many things I cook, from baked/ranch beans, to marinades, to glazes, or just simple sauces on meats. I enjoy them on all meats, cooked on any medium, and even on vegetables. I will share my favorite recipes here to show you how a good sauce can replace many ingredients and processes that you may or may not be doing to improve the taste of your food. Even if you aren't using my sauces, they should inspire you to explore and experiment on your own. You may even find the calories and other health factors to be better than your common health choices out there. For example my sauces are gluten free and corn syrup free!
One thing that makes my "Smokey Sweet" and "Hellfire" sauces unique is how I get that smoky flavor. I don't use "liquid smoke". I don't care how natural they say it is, if I don't understand the process, it's not natural to me. I smoke onions, paprika, jalapeno's and habenero peppers individually, then dry and grind them to a fine powder. The process can take up to a week, but the taste is phenomenal. It is truly what makes all the difference in my sauces.
This site is called, "Real Men Cook With Wood" and while I am a firm believer in cooking over wood, I realize its not possible to do every day, I sure can't as much as I'd like to. However because I DO use real wood to smoke ingredients used in my sauces, you can cook your meats in a skillet, oven, or gas grill, apply a small amount of my sauces to your meats and have it smelling and tasting like you spent all day smoking it in a wood smoker. Plus you don't get all the additives, preservatives and other unpronounceable stuff on your food.
"If you like my meat, you'll love my sauce!"
